9-year-old-niece of young cancer victim to strike out on midnight 'dream' walk

THE nine-year-old niece of charity founder Thomas Ball, who died from cancer at the age of 14, will be putting her best foot forward for a charity midnight walk next week.

Tamiah Sumner is taking on the challenge of The Thomas Ball Children's Cancer Fund Midnight "Dream" Walk on Friday, June 27, and is hoping people will show their support by joining her on the stroll or sponsoring her.

And supporters of the charity – whether walking or not – also have the chance to win a bedstead donated by the High Wycombe branch of Dreams in a raffle.

Elaine Ball, chair of the charity and also Tamiah's grandmother, said: "Tamiah has been asking to do the walk for some years now but I thought she was a little too young but now she is nine years old, I finally gave in and said she could have a go at doing it.

“It's going to be a difficult task because Tamiah, like many children these days, is not used to walking very far and even moans about walking to school. Tamiah also had a knee injury that stopped her from doing sports and PE for two years, so it will be very hard for her to keep up the pace this is why I would like the public to get behind her.”

The six mile stroll will take volunteers into Prestwood from Great Missenden Memorial Centre and back again.

Although she never knew him, Tamiah is Thomas’ niece and attends the same school as her uncle did when he was her age. Thomas died in 2003 from an aggressive childhood cancer, neuroblastoma. Tamiah wants to do her bit to raise awareness of the legacy her uncle Tom left behind, the charity he set up in 1998 with the help of his parents.

The organisation provides free holidays for very sick children in lodges on the Hampshire coast and also a trip to Euro Disney every December.